The University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana is the proud home of the distinctive Hope Collegiate Academy and Arkansas High Collegiate Academy. These academies, in collaboration with the Hope Public School District and the Texarkana Arkansas Public School District, provide a rare opportunity for students to earn a high school diploma and an Associate of Arts Degree in General Education simultaneously, at no cost.

This year, we celebrate the fourth graduating class of the collegiate academies. The class of 2024 consisted of 23 graduates from the Hope Collegiate Academy and 16 graduates from the Arkansas High Collegiate Academy. Since the program's inception, 111 students (75 from Hope High School and 36 from Arkansas High School) have simultaneously graduated with their high school diploma and associate degree. Last year, Hope High School proudly shared the highest number of students in the state of Arkansas who graduated with an associate of arts degree (tied with Greenbrier). In fact, the UAHT collegiate academies have played a significant role, accounting for an impressive 22% of all students in Arkansas who graduated high school with an associate of arts degree. This remarkable achievement garnered high praise from Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva during his recent visit to UAHT.

The collegiate academies are the only full college immersion programs of their kind in Arkansas, where students take classes full-time on the college campus while still participating in extra-curricular activities on their high school campuses. The academies set students up for success by saving them time and money. On average, collegiate academy graduates save $18,980 compared to the cost of the first two years at an Arkansas public four-year university. Of the academy graduates who transferred to four-year universities, 100% received scholarships and began at four-year universities taking junior-level courses. Many of them took advantage of the Arkansas Transfer Achievement Scholarship, which allowed them to attend the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville at UAHT’s tuition rate. In addition, 100% of collegiate academy students moved from an ACT 16 to an ACT 19 or higher between 10^th and 11^th grade. These students are prepared to succeed at a four-year university or the workplace by learning to adapt to the rigor of college courses.

Please join us in congratulating the 2024 collegiate academy graduates on their extraordinary accomplishments.

For more information or to enroll your student in the Hope or Arkansas High Collegiate Academy, visit https://www.uaht.edu/academics/high-school-programs.php.

Arkansas High Collegiate Academy
Bottom Left: Diana Hernandez, Bailey Pettit, Deborah Dillard, Ariana Thompson, Salome Rainauli-Driver
Top Left: Sadie Coleman, Logan Campbell, William Lawson Stone, Jenna Dupree, Sarabeth Wheeler, Zoe Tarbill
Not Picture: Corbin Atchley, Destiny Argo, Jared Lee, Mariagna Casco and Sarah Massey